The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1887-09-30
A GREAT STATE.
kentucky and Her Wonderful Resources


agricultural point of view, is Kentucky.
1t has not attracted quite as much at
tention during the past few years as one
or two other Southern States, but never
theless it has made great progress
solid and substantial progress-in indus
trial as well as agricultural interests.
The area of Kentucky is 10000 square
miles, or only 5000 square miles less
than the area of Pennsylvania. In I'M
developed mineral and timber wealth,
and in agricultural possibilities, Ken
lucky is, we are sure, the peer Of Penn,
sylvania. 1t has 1881 square miles of
coal area, against only IL 200 square miles
as the entire coal area of Great Britain.
The development of this enormous coal
territory has hardly, we may say, COM
menced, if we compare what has been
done with what will be done, and yet
while only 169,1 tons of coal were
mined in that State in 1870, the output
in 1886 was, according to local authori-
ties, 100000 tons, although this is more
than Saward's report.
The greatest portion of the coal area
of Kentucky, excepting only those strips
of territory contiguous to the Louisville
and Nashville, Cincinnati Southern and
few other roads which have been in
operation for some years, is essentially an
undeveloped Wilderness, but one which,
it is claimed, contains greater possibili-
ties than any other region of correspond
ing area in the United States. The
eastern part of the State contains coal
field of over ten thousand square miles
in area. This coal is mostly bituminous,
and is considered among the best known
for manufacturing purposes. In addition
to the bituminOus coal in the eastern
district there is also the largest area Of
camel coal in America. This coal is
from three TO four feet thick and of
superior quality.
Prof. J. II. Proctor, State Geologist,
says: Coal is found in every county
in line between the Ohio river and
the Tennessee State line. The thick
ness varies from twenty-fOur to fifty
four inches. In the northern part of this
district are immense deposits of iron ore,
and in close conjunction with coal beds"
'"The late geological survey demonstrate
ed the fact that the valuable deposits of
coking Goals which have added so much
wealth to Pennsylvania and West Vir-
ginia, have been traced and identified in
the valleys of the Cumberland the Ken
lucky and the Big Sandy, with q thick
ness of seven or eight feet, and analyses
show the coal to be equal, if not superior,
to that of COnnellsville for cokemaking.
"In the western coal field are twelve
beds of coal of workable thickness of
good quality. Associated with the lower
Goals are several beds of limOnite and
carbonate iron ores, all above drainage
and situated favorable for cheap mining
The western coal field, it is said, has an
area of about four thousand square
miles"
This vast wealth of coal has been
undevelOped because it is only of recent
years that its immensely has been made
known by geological surveys and because
of the lack of transportation facilities.
Here was great country covered with
magnificent virgin forests of the finest
woods and underlaid with the most
enormous mineral wealth, and yet no
railroads penetrated it to open it up TO
the world Now, however, railroads are
under construction into this section
the Louisville and Nashville is stretch
ing out one arm right into the heart of
this region; the Kentucky Union is being
built to the same section, and other roads
are pointing that way.
One-haIf of the area of Kentucky
is covered with forests of valuable tim
Der, including oaks of several species,
ash, yellow poplar, black walnut, hick-
DRY, lynn, beech, chestnut, red ce.
dar, etc. OF the fertility of its soil it
is needless to speak, for the fame Of
that, and especially of its bluegrass, has
extended over the world. 1t is here that
the finest horses in America are raised
horses, mules, cows, etc, being valued at
over $40, 600, 900, while the annual value
of its agricultural products averages
about $75, 100000.
In 1880, when the census statistics
were gathered, Kentucky stood second
in the list OF Southern States in the
amount of capital invested in manufact-
urea, being outranked by Maryland alone
At that date there were in Kentucky
5,32S manufacturing enterprises employ
ing q capital OF s35, SlS,039, the value
of the products being S75,4S3,377. The
manufacturing capital Of that State at
that time equaled the combined manu-
featuring capital Of North Carolina,
South Carolina and Georgia. While
Maryland ranked above Kentucky IN
this line in 1880, IL is quite probable
that the latter State is now ahead Of the
former, az the increase IN manufactures
in Kentucky during the last few years
has been very great. In fact the doyel.
opment Of the manufacturing Interests
ol that State has been something remark
able, even when taken In connection With
the rapid growth at The industrial inter
-. II IL. IL q. ..-Ial